Gareth A Davies has been a sports journalist for The Daily Telegraph since 1993. He is Boxing and MMA Correspondent. Has been intrigued by fight and combat sports from a young age. Personal sporting passions are rugby, cricket, and martial arts. Also covers the Paralympic Games. Hates getting his hair cut. Follow on Twitter @GarethADaviesDT

Froch retains WBC supermiddleweight title against Dirrell

Carl Froch retained the WBC supermiddleweight title on a split points decision in Nottingham, beating challenger Andre Dirrell in a messy, awkward fight at the Trent FM Arena. In many ways it was a frustrating contest. And certainly a poser to judge.

Dirrell was awarded the contest 114-113 on one card, with the two other ringside judges scoring in favour of home fighter Froch 115-112, 115-112. Yet it was a desperately tight affair, which could be debated either way. If styles make fights, then this was where the tango met the foxtrot.

I scored the contest by one round to Froch, and that was with a point deducted from Dirrell for holding, a tactic he employed for four rounds in the middle third of the contest.

Dirrell's promoter Gary Shaw, not a man given to being shy with his opinion, agreed that it was a very close, but also believed his man had won it. Froch's trainer Robert McCracken concurred, but also said that Dirrell was "a nightmare opponent. A great boxer, a canny southpaw, a great mover. He really was a nightmare to box. I'd hoped that Carl would box him last in the group stages of the Super Sixes Classic."

Froch is now unbeaten in 26 contests, while Dirrell, from Flint, Michigan, has now lost his first contest in his 19th professional fight. Dirrell, without taking the contest to Froch, gave him a severe test, scoring heavily with left hands to Froch in the tenth and eleventh rounds, his best, but was deducted a point by referee Hector Afu, of Panama, for holding, in the tenth round. He had been warned several times in the previous three rounds.

The opening was cagey from both men. Froch looking for power; Dirrell to hit and move. Indeed, the American proved elusive, and wary of Froch's power, switching between orthodox and southpaw stances.

Froch was the hunter in the contest, controlled the ring for 10 of the twelve rounds, looking to land heavy blows, but Dirrell should be commended for his movement, and counter punching. However, Dirrell may have moved too much, and at times looked as if he was running from the fight. Coupled with another period of holding and ducking low, it probably, on final analysis, counted against him on the cards.

Shaw admitted post-fight that perhaps his man should have stood and traded. He did so in the tenth and eleventh rounds, with some success, Froch taking a series of left hands from the southpaw stance. But Shaw admitted the plan was to avoid heavy barrages from Froch.

It was not a performance Froch will be fully happy with, but as he admitted: "This is tournament boxing, and a win is a win. I thought I had the fight, even going into the last round. I was the champion, and I was the aggressor in this fight. He was slippery, but I'm not hurt, I'm still the WBC champion, and I now prepare for the next in the series."

There was a real sense of occasion in the Trent FM Arena, packed to the rafters, but the crowd drew restless waiting for the first bell. By 02.30am, the fighters were not in the ring. Shaw, Dirrell’s promoter, climbed into the ring and raised his arms as if to say ‘What are we waiting for?’. The now familiar ‘Who are yer ?’ rang out from the crowd. At 02.32am, Jimmy Lennon Jnr took to the microphone. Predictably, boos for Dirrell from the partisan capacity audience of 8,500 inside the arena. Shaw said afterwards he thought the Nottingham crowd were "tremendous for boxing".

Earlier, in Berlin, Arthur Abraham had laid down a marker in the Super Sixes Classic with a last-ditch knockout of Jermain Taylor, with a long right hand through the gloves to the chin. Abraham looked out before he hit the canvas. At that point there were 16 seconds remaining in the final round.

When the Nottingham fight finally ensued, Dirrell entered the ring in green army fatigues, with a large entourage, brandishing US flags. A cacophony of sound greeted Froch’s entry, to ‘We Will Rock You’.

Froch , in a black, hooded cape, paused outside the ring and raised his arms to an adoring Midlands public. His trainer, Robert McCracken, issued the last orders. The lights lowered.

It was 12 rounds which will not live long in the memory. But for Froch, job done. Phase one over.

Dirrell's entourage shook their heads at the decision. It was close. Very close. But Dirrell has a great future ahead of him, and the beauty of the Super Sixes Classic is that he can now dust himself down and prepare for his next fistic meeting. He looks like a world champion in waiting, perhaps two years down the line; and, as the youngest of the six fighters in the Super Six Classic, and with his style he will prove a difficult proposition for every opponent.

Froch now faces Mikkel Kessler in his next contest. Dirrell meets Abraham. Stage 1 of the supermiddleweight Super Sixes has gone to form.